Funny People | Eastern North Carolina Now

    
The Return of Adam Sandler

    If you like really good, side splitting comedies, and you have considered that Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen were dependable comedy staples, you’ve been sadly disappointed of late. However, you may believe that formula comedies, safe but vulgar, are great and funny art. If you have followed any of my previous recent reviews of these two actors, you would know, I don’t.

    Funny People is a return of sorts to a better written, better conceived comedy that, like any good comedy, has its comedy foundation planted in the concrete footers of realty. Oddly, the realty of this film is somewhat eclectic, but more believable in concept than any of either actors most recent vehicles.

    That Concept: Cast Adam Sandler in the role of George Simmons, a professional stand-up comedian turned actor, who just happened to make it big in the movies by never turning down a role. Wow, now that’s a stretch. Seth Rogen plays Ira Wright, an aspiring stand-up comedian tying to make the rent, who gets a job with George writing original material, and just hanging around doing petty jobs, making a whopping 1,000.00 a week. Now that’s a lot of money when your paying gig is working in a grocery deli.

    What Ira does not know, however, is that George is very sick, and since he has long since stopped rationalizing his life as one of purpose driven by integrity, he is lost, frightened, and understandably, not handling it very well. Ira is broke, he’s moderately ambitious, and jumps at the chance to make his mark as George‘s writing partner, but soon finds out the relationship is more than he bargained for. George is chronically self-absorbed: A true horse’s ass of a different color. And trust me on this one: Adam Sandler has the dramatic acting skills to pull this one off.



    Ira’s roommates: Jonah Hill as Leo Koenig and Jason Schwartzman as Mark Taylor Jackson are moderately successful - at least they pay the rent, but moreover provide the buddy banter that is on accasion funny. Leo is also an aspiring stand-up comedian, whose shtick is incessantly talking about his penis, and its very small world. Ira also tries that approach to comedy gold, and soon has his chance to try it out at a gig at a corporate retreat for MySpace as the warm-up act for George, which after his act reveals one of the best verbal exchanges of the film.

    The great Singer / Songwriter James Taylor has just finished his gig at the same corporate retreat just before Ira does his warm-up act and they are standing side by side in the balcony watching George’s act:

    Ira Wright: “Do you ever get tired of singing the same songs, you know, over and over?”
    James Taylor: “Do you ever get tired of talking about your dick?”

    The film provides many more humorous exchanges overlaid over a decent premise. There is a bit of formula in this most resent Judd Apatow vehicle, who wrote and directed the film, but it works. Judd’s wife Leslie Mann, as Laura, is good as George’s one true love, who could continue with in the reign of George’s self absortion, and eventually marries Clarke played by Australian Eric Bana, who is really well cast, and breath of fresh air as Laura’s Australian husband. The film is long at 146 minutes, but there enough good comedic turns that it is well worth your time to see how George’s life unravels.

    The moment of revelation comes in a haste for the two men who love Laura, played by Leslie Mann. Adam Sandler s George and Eric Bana as Clarke round out the love triangle: Above

    I continued watching it because it is a decent and funny picture, and after Adam Sandler’s most recent “Bedtime Stories” and “You Don’t Mess With the Zohan,” it was nice seeing Adam posting one in the win column.

     Release on DVD November 24, 2009. Rated R.

    This article provided courtesy of our sister site: Better Angels Now